Grace Blog

First published in 2006, the "Evangelical Lutheran Worship" hymnal (ELW) was designed to replace the familiar green "Lutheran Book of Worship" which came out in 1978. Most ELCA congregations now use the ELW or "cranberry hymnal" as it is sometimes called.

Grace's worship leaders had been talking for some time about replacing our worn LBWs with the ELW and had been looking at ways to pay for them.

Thanks to a very generous gift from a family at Grace, a family who wishes to remain anonymous, we have been able to purchase all the copies of the ELW we need! They will be in the pews starting on September 13.

If you love the LBW don't think you are having something special taken away. Almost everything that is in the LBW is also in the ELW. The ELW also features a larger number of liturgical settings than the LBW, settings with different styles of music. It also has many more hymns and songs used by Christians in other parts of the world.

We are going to keep the blue "With One Voice" hymnals in the pews.

We have used parts of the ELW in worship the past several years, especially over the summer months, and the small worship booklets in our pews contain songs from the ELW, so you are already familiar with some of what is in it.

If you would like to have a copy of the green LBW you are welcome to take one home with you. We will have them available on September 13.

Once again, we are very thankful to the members who have made this possible and we look forward to many years of giving God praise using the ELW!